Adam's Story
Adam alighted the school bus and walked toward his home, dreading every step. It had been a long day at school, and so much had happened. Earlier during recess time, a classmate whom he did not fancy had walked up to him and hit him on the back to irritate him. Adam, in his fury, turned back and scolded a vulgarity at him, which resulted in a heated exchange of vulgar superlatives, and ended up in a brawl. Both boys were caught red handed by the discipline master and was dragged to his office. Parents of both boys were also informed.
As Adam reached the gate of his flat, he could hear his father's deep voice. Not wanting to go into the flat without knowing what was happening, Adam lingered a little while longer outside the gate.
"When he comes home, I'm going to give him a spanking. Who ever taught him to speak such uncouth language? He had disgraced the family." Adam could hear that his dad was not pleased.
Dear, there's no use getting all angry about this. You'll just end up spoiling your body. Anyway, he's just a child, try not to be too hard on him when he comes home.
Adam took a deep breath. He was afraid of his dad, and of course the cane, but he already had a foolproof reply that would assure that he would not get beaten. He breathed out a heavy breath before reaching for his keys to open the door...
"ADAM! IS THAT YOU? YOUNG MAN, YOU BETTER GET YOURSELF RIGHT HERE IN THE LIVING ROOM RIGHT NOW!" Every muscle in Adam's body tensed up, knowing that he will be in for some hard time. He slowly took off his shoes, wishing that time would freeze and that he could walk through the living room without his dad noticing it, but he knew it was impossible.
"What's this I've been hearing in school about you sprouting vulgarities at your classmate? "
"But dad, Ian hit me first..."
"You should have told the teacher! Why did you scolded him a vulgarity? Do you know that your principal called me..."
"Dad, it was the discipline master, not the principal", Adam cut in before his father could finish the sentence. It was the first time he had interrupted a scolding from his dad, but he knew he had to do it. He had observed his mom interrupting his dad halfway in a quarrel, and more often than not, dad's flow of thoughts will be broken and could not formulate any counter-argument.
As expected, his dad was stunned for a second. However, this was not enough to break his train of thoughts has he proceeded to give Adam a 10 minutes lecture. Every minute that passed by was a torture. Adam knew that he had to do better than that. "I have to end this soon", he thought.
After what seemed like hours, dad, fuming, proceeded to reach for the cane just in front of him.
"Young man, hold out your hand. I'm going to make you remember and always regret the day you bring disgrace to this family by your bad behavior. "
Adam had to act fast. He did not want to be beaten. His dad is a big man, and every stroke of cane normally leaves a bruise that would stay there for weeks. With stuttering lips, he put into speech the line which he had been practicing all the way home in the school bus.
"No, I will not." Sweat started to form on the soles of his feet and his palms. "I have not done anything wrong!" Mom sat upright, surprised at her young son's rebellion, which only served to fuel dad's anger.
"So you don't think you did anything wrong, do you?", dad asked sarcastically. "Did you know that vulgarities are words which you should not use?", dad continued. "Whoever taught you how to swear like a barbarian?"
Adam was a little relieved when he heard what his dad said. He was just waiting for this line so that he could give a reply that he had constructed in his mind the whole time. He narrowed his eyes, and said as a matter of factly, "You did, dad. You taught me those words."
"When did i ever taught you those words? Stop putting words in my mouth. You think this is a joke?". Dad could not believe what he had just heard.
"I heard you mutter those words every single time someone cuts into your lane while you were driving. You also used those words when we were out with your friends, and also when you were talking to mom about some guy who owed you money. If you can use those words, why cant i use them?" Adam stopped. He had said it. He looked away, waiting for any moment when the cane would strike him. But no cane came. There was a moment of awkward silence. Dad was obviously stumped. Mom was equally shocked.
After some time, dad put down the cane and went to the toilet, while mom went back to the kitchen to cook. Adam picked up his schoolbag and dragged it all the way into his room. He had escaped unharmed.
Many of us have ways to get around punishments when we do something wrong. Over the years, I've learnt as a grow up was that, whenever I am being scolded for doing something, I just need to try my best to remember a similiar thing my parents did, and shove the incident right in their face. Often, they will become defensive, and the focus will be on them instead of me. I will be safe from any punishments. However, the quiet moments that comes after such incidents were neither peaceful nor restful. God dosen't give us peace for these kind of 'victory'.
Parents have an authority over us, and since God had placed such authority over us, it is therefore unwise to challenge them, since God will be on their side. We might be able to win them in an argument, but we will lose out on their favor and blessings. Therefore, we are just asked to obey them, and when we are required to do something unreasonable, we have to explain to them in wisdom. Parents are also human, and so are imperfect, but many of their words contains pearls of wisdom, which hopefully does not fly us by.
If Adam would have accepted the scolding, he might be beaten for a moment, but when he has repented, he would have discovered God's peace within him. Discipline in itself is a training and ultimately a form of love. Proverbs 3:12 writes, "because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." Through this training, God might lead him to even apologize to Ian, and a friendship might even start from there.
The purpose of me writing such a story, is because it is a parallel in my walk with God. Often, I compare myself with people around me and think that I'm leading a life more pleasing to God than them. A pharisee's thinking. I used them as excuse to bring down my own standards. I justified my righteousness by others' unrighteousness. There is a need to remember that before God, all my standards of righteousness fades away. Like Adam in the story, when I was younger, I often give God the excuse, such as, that I do not see my parents such and such, so I do not have to do it too. Many more excuses went something like that also.
In Ezekiel 18:20, it writes that, "The soul who sins is the one who will die...". Others might have sinned even worse than us, but our own lives we have to guard. My prayer is that I might stand righteous before God, and by doing so, I have to guard my own life. Thank God for placing brothers alongside me in this; Taiyong, Jesh, Daniel, James, Lowell, Joseph, and even my own brother Aaron. May we continue to build each other for eternity.
As Adam reached the gate of his flat, he could hear his father's deep voice. Not wanting to go into the flat without knowing what was happening, Adam lingered a little while longer outside the gate.
"When he comes home, I'm going to give him a spanking. Who ever taught him to speak such uncouth language? He had disgraced the family." Adam could hear that his dad was not pleased.
Dear, there's no use getting all angry about this. You'll just end up spoiling your body. Anyway, he's just a child, try not to be too hard on him when he comes home.
Adam took a deep breath. He was afraid of his dad, and of course the cane, but he already had a foolproof reply that would assure that he would not get beaten. He breathed out a heavy breath before reaching for his keys to open the door...
"ADAM! IS THAT YOU? YOUNG MAN, YOU BETTER GET YOURSELF RIGHT HERE IN THE LIVING ROOM RIGHT NOW!" Every muscle in Adam's body tensed up, knowing that he will be in for some hard time. He slowly took off his shoes, wishing that time would freeze and that he could walk through the living room without his dad noticing it, but he knew it was impossible.
"What's this I've been hearing in school about you sprouting vulgarities at your classmate? "
"But dad, Ian hit me first..."
"You should have told the teacher! Why did you scolded him a vulgarity? Do you know that your principal called me..."
"Dad, it was the discipline master, not the principal", Adam cut in before his father could finish the sentence. It was the first time he had interrupted a scolding from his dad, but he knew he had to do it. He had observed his mom interrupting his dad halfway in a quarrel, and more often than not, dad's flow of thoughts will be broken and could not formulate any counter-argument.
As expected, his dad was stunned for a second. However, this was not enough to break his train of thoughts has he proceeded to give Adam a 10 minutes lecture. Every minute that passed by was a torture. Adam knew that he had to do better than that. "I have to end this soon", he thought.
After what seemed like hours, dad, fuming, proceeded to reach for the cane just in front of him.
"Young man, hold out your hand. I'm going to make you remember and always regret the day you bring disgrace to this family by your bad behavior. "
Adam had to act fast. He did not want to be beaten. His dad is a big man, and every stroke of cane normally leaves a bruise that would stay there for weeks. With stuttering lips, he put into speech the line which he had been practicing all the way home in the school bus.
"No, I will not." Sweat started to form on the soles of his feet and his palms. "I have not done anything wrong!" Mom sat upright, surprised at her young son's rebellion, which only served to fuel dad's anger.
"So you don't think you did anything wrong, do you?", dad asked sarcastically. "Did you know that vulgarities are words which you should not use?", dad continued. "Whoever taught you how to swear like a barbarian?"
Adam was a little relieved when he heard what his dad said. He was just waiting for this line so that he could give a reply that he had constructed in his mind the whole time. He narrowed his eyes, and said as a matter of factly, "You did, dad. You taught me those words."
"When did i ever taught you those words? Stop putting words in my mouth. You think this is a joke?". Dad could not believe what he had just heard.
"I heard you mutter those words every single time someone cuts into your lane while you were driving. You also used those words when we were out with your friends, and also when you were talking to mom about some guy who owed you money. If you can use those words, why cant i use them?" Adam stopped. He had said it. He looked away, waiting for any moment when the cane would strike him. But no cane came. There was a moment of awkward silence. Dad was obviously stumped. Mom was equally shocked.
After some time, dad put down the cane and went to the toilet, while mom went back to the kitchen to cook. Adam picked up his schoolbag and dragged it all the way into his room. He had escaped unharmed.
----------------------
Many of us have ways to get around punishments when we do something wrong. Over the years, I've learnt as a grow up was that, whenever I am being scolded for doing something, I just need to try my best to remember a similiar thing my parents did, and shove the incident right in their face. Often, they will become defensive, and the focus will be on them instead of me. I will be safe from any punishments. However, the quiet moments that comes after such incidents were neither peaceful nor restful. God dosen't give us peace for these kind of 'victory'.
Parents have an authority over us, and since God had placed such authority over us, it is therefore unwise to challenge them, since God will be on their side. We might be able to win them in an argument, but we will lose out on their favor and blessings. Therefore, we are just asked to obey them, and when we are required to do something unreasonable, we have to explain to them in wisdom. Parents are also human, and so are imperfect, but many of their words contains pearls of wisdom, which hopefully does not fly us by.
If Adam would have accepted the scolding, he might be beaten for a moment, but when he has repented, he would have discovered God's peace within him. Discipline in itself is a training and ultimately a form of love. Proverbs 3:12 writes, "because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." Through this training, God might lead him to even apologize to Ian, and a friendship might even start from there.
The purpose of me writing such a story, is because it is a parallel in my walk with God. Often, I compare myself with people around me and think that I'm leading a life more pleasing to God than them. A pharisee's thinking. I used them as excuse to bring down my own standards. I justified my righteousness by others' unrighteousness. There is a need to remember that before God, all my standards of righteousness fades away. Like Adam in the story, when I was younger, I often give God the excuse, such as, that I do not see my parents such and such, so I do not have to do it too. Many more excuses went something like that also.
In Ezekiel 18:20, it writes that, "The soul who sins is the one who will die...". Others might have sinned even worse than us, but our own lives we have to guard. My prayer is that I might stand righteous before God, and by doing so, I have to guard my own life. Thank God for placing brothers alongside me in this; Taiyong, Jesh, Daniel, James, Lowell, Joseph, and even my own brother Aaron. May we continue to build each other for eternity.
posted by caleb at 9:48 PM
